Situated across the mouth of Galway Bay, some seven miles from the
nearest point of the Clare and Galway coast are the majestic Aran
Islands. Comprising three separate islands – Inishmore (Inis
Mór), Inishmaan (Inis Meáin) and Inisheer (Inis Óirr),
the Islands are a unique link to our Gaelic past and have inspired
some of the finest writers and painters of this century. According
to legend, Galway Bay was once a large lake known as Loch Lurgan,
which in ancient times eroded its banks, leaving the Aran Islands
forever battling against the mighty waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Islands are a twenty-minute flight or two-hour boat journey from
nearby Galway, Rossaveal or Doolin. The pattern of life hasn’t
changed dramatically here over the years and besides arable farming,
life is based mainly on sheep farming, cattle and fishing. Inishmaan
got electricity on the island as recently as 1975, while the small
patches of farming land, surrounded by mounds of stones, are still
largely cultivated by hand. Fishing of course, was always a large
part of life on the Aran Islands and this was carried out from small
boats called Currachs, the construction of which comprised a wooden
frame covered with animal skin or canvas. Modern Currachs are still
in use on the islands today.
Stone Walls of Aran
The largest of the Aran Islands is Inishmore, which is eight miles
long and has a population of approximately 900, by far the most densely
populated of the islands. The Iron Age fortress of Dún Aonghasa,
situated on the western side of Inishmore, is perched on the summit
of a hill that rises from the ocean to a height of 300 feet. And while
tourists probably outnumber Inishmore’s residents on some summer
days, if you can arrive early or late and be alone in Dún Aengus,
staring into the vastness of the Atlantic, it is one of the most amazing
feelings imaginable. Other major attractions on Inishmore include
Dún Dubhchathair, one of the oldest forts on Aran; Dún
Eochla, an excellently preserved fort with inner citadel; Caisleán
Aircín, built in 1587 and later occupied by Oliver Cromwell’s
troops, who plundered several monuments from around the island; and
Teampall Bheanain, the ruins of an ancient church and one of the smallest
in the world, measuring just 11 feet x 7 feet.
Approximately 200 people populate Inishmaan, the middle and second
largest island of Aran. It is said that Inishmaan remains the most
untouched of the islands. Due to its isolated location and lack of
a harbour over the years, western culture never really took root here
and the Gaelic language is still widespread in everyday speech. The
author John Millington Synge is synonymous with Inishmaan and his
famous plays – The Playboy of the Western World and Riders to
the Sea were both based on experiences and tales from Inishmaan. Places
to visit on Inishmaan include Dún Chonchúir, a large
oval fort dating from the 5th century; Teach Synge, the house where
J.M. Synge stayed when on the island; Leaba Dhiarmuid agus Gráinne
(The bed of Diarmaid and Gráinne), a collapsed Neolithic wedge
tomb named after tragic lovers from ancient Irish mythology; and Inis
Meáin Knitwear, offering locally produced knitwear (tax free
to visitors from outside the EU).
O'Brien's Castle, Inisheer
Inisheer is the smallest of the Aran Islands and
has a population of approximately 300 people, more than its larger
neighbour, Inishmaan. This is another ruggedly majestic island and
the many attractions include Caisleán Ui Bhríain, a
large three-story castle built by the O’Brien family in 1585;
Teampall Chaomhain Caomhan, the ruins of a church built to honour
the patron saint of Inisheer in the 12th century; Tobar Einne, the
ruins of the holy well of St. Enda, the patron saint of Inishmore;
and the Wreck of the Plassey. The cargo vessel "Plassey"
was shipwrecked in 1960 and its crew saved by the islanders of Inisheer
during storm force winds without the loss of a single life.
